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Political asylum seeker is intimidated on behalf of the Georgian State Security Service

December 19, 2016
 
Citizen of Azerbaijan Dashgin Aghalarli, who requests political asylum in Georgia, is oppressed on behalf of the Georgian State Security Service. 

During past few months, unidentified person called Dashgin Aghalarli on the cell phone several times and requested meeting in the Tbilisi based park. During first call the unknown person presented himself as an officer of the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs. Next time, he introduced himself as a representative of the State Security Service. 

HRIDC is concerned with blatant violation of the legal procedures in communication with the political asylum seeker in Georgia, which is illegal surveillance and pursuing of the person. It is alarming, that the phone calls were made from private number, so that it was impossible to identify whether the persons really represented the MIA or State Security Service or other people, who may have unlawful intentions. 

Dashgin Aghalarli is a member of the opposition party Musavat in Azerbaijan. He has been pursued by the Azerbaijani government for different political views for years. In 2013, Azerbaijani government groundlessly accused Dashgin Aghalarli and other political and civil activists – in the evasion of tax payment. In 2014, Dashgin Agalarali was arrested in Georgia when he crossed Georgian-Turkish border; he had arrived in Georgia to seek political asylum. With the support of Human Rights Center, in August, 2014 he was released from prison.
 
In 2014, Dashgin Aghalarli applied the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees of Georgia for refugee status for him and his son; two years later he received groundless refusal. Dashgin Aghalarli appealed the Tbilisi City Court’s Administrative Collegium with the support of Human Rights Center. The Tbilisi City Court satisfied the appeal and obliged the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees to grant refugee status to Dashgin Aghalarli and his son. The Tbilisi City Court fully shared the position of the applicant that in case of their extradition to Azerbaijan, their lives will be in danger and they would be politically pursued and tortured. 

Despite the decision of Tbilisi City Court, the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees did not grant refugee status to Dashgin Aghalarli and his son. At the same time, physiological oppression and intimidation of the political refugee has not been ceased. 

HRIDC calls on the Georgian Government to take relevant measures to identify the people, who called Dashgin Aghalarli on behalf of the MIA and SSS. At the same time, the government shall evaluate all risks, which the asylum seeker may face in the country and guarantee his security as much as possible. 

Human Rights Center 

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